Honesty
by hatondog
Summary: An arrest, escape and capture lead to understanding.  Completed.
1. Chapter 1

Honesty (Chapter 1 of 3)

_A/N: This storyline has been kicking around in my head forever. Chapter 1 is pretty dark, but the tone gets lighter, promise. And here's a plus…it's finished. _

_The story starts at Café Diem, at the end of One Small Step. Jo's about to tell Zane that she can't promise to wait for him while he's on Titan (dialogue paraphrased—if I had my way, it never would have been uttered, so the scene wasn't one I wanted to revisit just to confirm the script)._

"I'm sorry if I hurt you," Jo said. "Less crappy apology?"

Zane smiled. "Yeah. A little. I want to know though…while I'm gone…," he trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"You're asking if I'll wait for you," Jo said. Zane nodded. "I can't promise that, not yet."

"Because you don't know how you feel about me?" he asked.

"No, that's not it. I just don't know how I feel about a lot of things. But I'm working on it, really." She rested a hand on his leg.

"Honesty, huh? I never thought we'd get here." Zane looked at his hands for several moments, then spoke quietly. "While we're being honest, I have another question. About…before."

"Zane, I-" started Jo. He held his hand up to silence her. "I know, we agreed not to talk about the past for a while. But since I'll be heading to Titan without you, I'd really like to figure this out before I go."

She stared at him for several long moments before nodding reluctantly. "OK…what do you want to know?"

He took a deep breath. "Did you ever tell your family about me? I mean, the other me?"

Jo was surprised. Of all the subjects that Zane could be curious about, this one hadn't crossed her mind. "Yes, of course," she answered.

"One more…did you tell them about my record?"

Jo was confused by Zane's sudden intensity. "No. I suppose that I would have eventually. It just didn't seem important. It wasn't like you'd been convicted…". She stopped short, seeing too late the trap their conversation led into.

He nodded as if this was the answer he'd expected. "So, I'd guess you haven't told them anything about me. Since _I _wasconvicted." It wasn't a question.

Jo leaned forward, speaking quickly as if she could head his thoughts off from the direction they were taking. "Zane, whatever our issues have been, your record hasn't been one of them. If I didn't trust you—if I didn't believe what you did was just a mistake in judgment—we wouldn't have been together in either timeline."

His mouth twisted. "But you didn't really trust me, not this time. I'm not sure if you do yet. Still, it doesn't matter, does it? I'm not the kind of guy you bring home to Dad. Which makes me just a good fu—".

"No," Jo broke in emphatically. "You're wrong. You've done everything that's been asked of you since you got here. You're going to Titan. And you deserve it. You're one of the smartest people in this town, which is really saying something." She looked directly into his eyes. "I am _proud _of you."

"Great. Then let's call your Dad. I'm looking forward to meeting him, if only by phone."

Jo froze. She'd meant what she said—she was proud of Zane. But the idea of introducing him to her family felt wrong. It wasn't Zane—she just wasn't ready for them to think of her as being in any committed relationship.

"That's what I thought," he said softly. "Pardon or no, I'm still that guy to you, aren't I?"

Jo shook her head. "It's not that, really it's not. It's just that I don't know what I want…".

"But I do, Jo. That's the problem, I do. And whatever you want, it looks like pardon or no, an ex-con isn't it." Zane stood and Jo followed, reaching for him. "Zane, please," she said, frustrated.

She was interrupted by a commotion behind them. Several uniformed military policemen were gathering inside the café's front door. One pointed in their direction and the group moved their way.

"What the hell?" said Jo.

"Zane Donovan?" asked one of the cops. He grabbed Zane's arm and tried to spin him around. "You're under arrest." When Zane resisted having his arms pulled behind his back, the other two cops slammed him against a table. As they clipped handcuffs onto him, Jo stepped forward. Vincent started around the counter, but she waved him off.

"What are you doing? What are the charges?" she demanded.

General Mansfield responded. "Don't interfere, Lupo. I told you months ago that Donovan belonged back in prison. You refused then and this is the result."

"_What _is the result?" snapped Jo. "What do you think he's done?"

"Not think. Know. He hacked the Astraeus mission system. Moved $100,000 of the grant money to a private account. And altered the candidate database to move an application in line for acceptance."

"That's ridiculous," sputtered Jo. "He's fully qualified for the mission—there's no reason for him to change his application's status."

"It wasn't his application, Jo." Carter said quietly. He'd followed Mansfield into the fray. "It was yours. This was before the candidate selections were made."

She blinked at him. "He wouldn't steal money, Carter." Her tone was pleading.

"It went to an account in his name. Set up in his home town," growled Mansfield. "I don't know what your motivation is in defending him, Lupo, and I don't want to. I just want him gone." He turned to the three policemen. "Take him away."

Zane spoke for the first time. He ignored Mansfield and everyone else except Jo. "I didn't do it, Jo. I'm somebody's fall guy, again." Held in place, he could only lean forward to look into her eyes. "Do you believe me?"

She didn't answer. After a few moments, she lowered her gaze. Zane's shoulders slumped. He let himself be led away without argument.

Carter rested a hand on Jo's shoulder. "We'll find out what's going on." She shook her head, eyes on the ground. "For what it's worth, Jo, I don't think he did it. It doesn't add up—whoever did this all but signed Zane's name to the records. It was stupid, and Zane isn't stupid. Besides, stealing money? It's just not him—he's not that guy anymore."

Jo startled at Carter's choice of words. Not that guy. She turned to him, eyes wide. "Carter, I let him down."

"If he wasn't involved, we'll clear him. Then you two will work this out," he answered. "It's time." She nodded and followed him out the door.

Jo drove out of town toward GD, mentally sorting through options for proving Zane's innocence. She'd start with a search of personnel records to identify anyone who had computer skills on par with Zane's own. That would be a small group.

Motive was another component—who would most benefit from Zane's arrest? Astraeus candidates on the wait list for the mission were obvious choices. Someone with a grudge against Zane was another option, but harder to find. Despite his history, he was fairly well liked in Eureka. With a start, she realized the frame-up could also have been directed at her. While few people knew about her relationship with Zane, anyone who did would know that hurting him would hurt her.

Or would they? She shook off the memory of Zane's accusation that she only wanted him around for sex. That was ridiculous and he knew it. They weren't just lovers, they were friends. Good ones. She cared deeply for him. It could be more... _so why haven't you told anyone in the family about him?_ The small voice in her head sounded disapproving. _Don't like that question? OK, here's another one-why would Zane think you don't care?_

"I don't need this," Jo muttered. She pressed harder on the gas pedal, fingers tightening around the wheel. Which was fortunate as she needed to yank it hard to avoid a limo stopped in the middle of the road. One of the military cops who'd arrested Zane was kneeling beside the car, pulling a flat tire off its rim. The other two were nowhere to be seen. The General was standing on the verge, shouting into a phone. Jo pulled in behind them.

Before she was out of the car, Mansfield was storming toward her. "Donovan escaped," he spit. Jo felt her heart stop. "He won't get far. This is the end-he shouldn't have been allowed anywhere near this facility. If I have my way, he won't be seeing daylight again anytime soon."

Gravel shot out from under Carter's jeep as he pulled to a stop. Jo turned to him. "Carter, Zane's out there." Her voice broke as the worry in his expression deepened. "If he resists…". She didn't need to finish the sentence. The guys chasing after Zane were armed, and not at all inclined to cut him any slack. They would shoot if they felt it was necessary.

"Shit," Carter said. He walked to within inches of Mansfield. Injecting as much authority into his voice as he could muster, he said "Zane Donovan is a resident of Eureka. All previous charges against him were pardoned, so he's no longer on parole and no longer under federal jurisdiction. I've confirmed with the DoD Office of Legal Affairs that any crimes he _allegedly _committed are under _my_ jurisdiction." *

He leaned forward, jabbing his finger at the General's face. "You had no right to take him into custody, so he was within his rights to escape an unlawful detention. If he is injured in any way, I will consider that to be a criminal assault."

The General's face turned a disturbing shade of purple. While he was usually a fairly reasonable man, something about Zane's presence in Eureka had always offended him. That feeling, coupled with the uncomfortable sense that Carter might be right about his lack of authority to make an arrest, caused him to splutter angrily. "Are you threatening me, Sheriff?"

"Just stating a fact, General. Now, if we can all settle down, maybe we can find a way to resolve-".

Carter's voice died in his throat. They all froze at the distant sound echoing from the woods.

It was a gunshot.

* _This is nonsense. If a crime is committed at a military facility, the feds or the military have jurisdiction. A local sheriff? Not so much. But hey, that's what literary license is for._


	2. Chapter 2

Honesty (Chapter 2)

_A/N: By the way, consider the usual disclaimer to be inserted here. Yada, yada, yada…_

An involuntary whimper escaped Jo. The noise seemed to snap the General out of the unthinking rage he'd been in since Zane ran off into the woods. Paling, he pulled a radio out to speak with his men.

"Stand down! Repeat, stand down. Do not fire on the prisoner. Report your status immediately." Static crackled in response. "Smith! Status report now!"

A voice apparently belonging to Smith came back. "Yes, sir. We fired one shot, but were not able to capture Donovan, General. Should we continue the pursuit?"

"Was he hit?" the General asked, studiously avoiding looking at Jo.

"Cannot confirm. Based on his subsequent movements, he did not seem to be disabled. I suspect the shot went wide."

Mansfield directed his next comment to Jo, tone slightly abashed. "For whatever it's worth, I didn't intend for this to happen." Turning to Carter, he continued. "I will provide air resources for a search and rescue. When Donovan is found, he'll be taken to GD for medical care if required or released into your custody. The charges can be resolved from there. Is that satisfactory?"

Carter nodded, but Jo stepped forward. "It'll be dark in an hour. An effective air search may not be possible until morning. If Zane is hurt…" she swallowed hard, "he'll need help before then. Have your men report their location, and I'll do a ground search from there."

She turned to Carter. "If his men chase Zane, they'll never find him. He's a lot smarter than they are." Mansfield winced, but didn't object. She was right. "Do you have a medi-kit in your jeep?"

"In the back. I'll stay to coordinate activities here—I'll call when I have any more information. Call me if you find him and need help." He paused to choose his next words, not wanting to tip off Mansfield about the investigation being made into the charges against Zane. "Fargo and Henry have been monitoring the situation and thinks they might be able to offer some help soon_._" Jo nodded her understanding, then went to retrieve the medi-kit.

The General returned to his discussion with his men. "Provide your coordinates, then return to the highway." Jo returned, loaded with gear, in time to hear Smith's response. Wordlessly, she walked into the woods toward the direction suggested.

Even in broad daylight, the Oregon woods could be a dark and forbidding place. Jo was swallowed up in the gloom as soon as she stepped into the trees. But moving felt good, much better than staying in Mansfield's presence for a moment longer.

As head of GD security, professional courtesy, if not custom, required that she be notified before the arrest of any employee. She was furious at the military's high-handedness in dragging Zane off without warning. And terrified by how the situation had escalated to put his life at risk.

"What the hell were you thinking, running like that?" she muttered to herself, stomping along a trail. "This isn't some freaking video game. No extra lives if you get shot, you idiot." Continuing on in that vein provided a nice distraction that carried Jo all the way to where Sergeant Smith and his partner were hiking out.

Jo wasn't angry with them—when they'd shot at Zane, they'd only been following orders. Even so, she couldn't hold back a cold glare as they passed. Both men dropped their eyes as they moved around her on the path. Just before they disappeared from view, Smith's partner turned back.

"Ms. Lupo?" he said quietly. He was young, probably no more than about 19. "I really don't think I hit him, if that helps any. I'm a pretty lousy shot, and for a scientist? That guy can move."

Jo felt a lump form in her throat. "Thanks," she said, and walked on.

Within 20 minutes, it was fully dark. Jo's thoughts about Zane swung between worry and fury. Worry, that he was hurt and she'd somehow walked past him. Fury, that he'd caused all this by running away in the first place.

Hearing a crack behind her, she spun. The path was covered with a thick carpet of damp leaves. As Jo turned, they slid, causing her ankle to twist. The medi-kit and camping gear she'd packed in threw her balance off and she fell hard. Her reaction was colorful and loud.

"Tsk. Watch the language, Lupo. You'll scare the wildlife." Zane stepped onto the path and knelt by Jo, gently running a hand over her ankle. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

"I could ask the same question of you, but you look like you're still in one piece. For now anyway—wait until I get my hands on you," she growled.

"Promises, promises," Zane answered before pulling her to her feet. "What are you doing here?"

She felt her voice creep up several octaves, but was powerless to stop it. "What am _I _doing here? What are _you _doing here?" She punctuated her words by punching his chest.

"You _escaped,_ you moron. Everyone was ready to drop everything to help you, but you just couldn't wait. No, the brilliant Zane Donovan thought running was a better idea." Her hands had balled into fists and the punches were coming hard enough to push Zane back a few steps. "You. Could. Have. Been. Killed."

Zane grabbed her arms to stop the pummeling. "Jo." His voice was calm. "You wonder why I'm here, way outside of Eureka?" She stopped struggling against his hold. "Mansfield wasn't taking me to any local lockup. He was having me sent to the military prison facility in Lompoc. Rules or no, a civil court wouldn't touch my case in there. I'd get a trial whenever they damn well felt like giving me one."

Jo shook her head reflexively. "No, that's not true. It can't be—Mansfield doesn't like you, true, but he's a straight arrow. He wouldn't railroad you like that."

"Maybe not on his own. But if someone higher up on the food chain decided to make sure I never boarded Astraeus…" Zane trailed off with a shrug.

"That's crazy," she whispered. But her voice lacked conviction. Nothing that had happened since the military boys grabbed Zane made any sense. In light of that, his explanation seemed considerably less paranoid than it might otherwise have.

"Yeah, well," Zane said, releasing her arms. "Not a risk I'm willing to take. Turns out I sort of like this freedom thing." He looked her over. "So, I'm not going back yet. Can you walk out on your own?"

"Not without you," she answered quietly.

Zane snorted. "You're so sure I should be behind bars again? What are you going to do, Jo? Drag me back to Mansfield?"

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," she snapped. "Didn't you hear me? _Everyone _dropped everything when they heard you'd been arrested. Carter, Henry, Fargo—everyone started looking for ways to help you. _Including me._" She stopped to take a deep breath.

"I don't think you did anything wrong. I'm sorry I didn't say so right away. Maybe I'm hardwired not to disagree with a superior officer, but that's no excuse. I believe you, and should have said so."

They stood in place, neither speaking until Zane cleared his throat. "Two not-so-crappy apologies from you in the same day. Who are you and what have you done with my girl-". Jo cut him off. "Your girlfriend is right here," she murmured, rising onto her toes to kiss him.

When they broke the kiss, Zane grinned down at her. "I should run away from home more often."

"Please don't," Jo answered. "I don't think I can take the stress." He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I heard the gunshot," she explained. "I thought…" she stopped, shaking her head.

"Now I'm sorry," Zane said quietly.

Stepping back, Jo scanned his body. "You _aren't _hurt, are you? The shot missed?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "That kid couldn't hit the side of a barn if it was standing still. Which I wasn't." He looked at the medi-kit and camping gear scattered around it. "That's why you dragged all this stuff out here? Because you thought I'd been shot?"

Jo bent to begin gathering up gear. "I was a great Girl Scout. Always prepared for anything."

He reached out to pull her back to him. "Thank you, Jo," he said sincerely. She rested her head on his chest. They were still, listening to the forest sounds around them.

She looked up. "Carter said Henry and Fargo are working on something to exonerate you. I don't want to call him—the signal could be tracked. But he'll call when he thinks it's safe for us to come out."

"Us? You're aiding and abetting an escaped fugitive, Jo." Zane was smiling, but looked worried.

"Yeah, we've had this conversation before. I'll arrest myself later," she answered. "In the meantime, we need to find some cover. It's going to be a long, cold night."

Zane picked up the sleeping bag Jo had brought. "A single?" He waggled his eyebrows and grinned. "It may be a long night, JoJo, but I can guarantee you won't be cold."

She smacked him and started down the path, hands full of gear. "Keep up, Donovan, would you? I don't want to have to hunt you down again." Laughing, he followed.

_Last chapter coming soon!_


	3. Chapter 3

Honesty (Chapter 3)

They walked off trail, careful not to leave tracks. Mindful of the impending air search, Jo was on the watch for dense patches of foliage where they could spend the night.

As they walked, she filled Zane in about Carter's challenge to Mansfield's authority and his email to her about the all-hands effort being made to identify the real culprit in the hacking and theft. Zane interrupted only when she mentioned a NASA acquaintance of Henry's who'd agreed to review the names of people outside of Eureka who had access to Astraeus mission records.

"Henry barely knows me," Zane said quietly. "Why would he stick his neck out?"

"I don't know about the man you knew, but the Henry I know respects you. And he despises unfairness," Jo answered. Zane nodded, swallowing hard. They walked on, listening to a growing chorus of crickets from the underbrush.

The night cooled quickly. By the time they made camp, Jo was shivering. Hugging her arms to herself, she said "Next time, let me know when you want to place hide and seek, ok? I'll be better dressed for it."

"Come on," Zane pulled the sleeping bag open and gestured her to it. When she'd snuggled all the way inside, he handed her a granola bar. Jo put it aside then reached her arms out. "Get in here, Mr. Fugitive," she said. He slid in, turning to face her.

"Tight fit," he murmured. Jo gasped as their bodies pressed together.

"Maybe that's because someone is taking up more room than he should be."

"Your fault, JoJo." Zane trailed his lips down her neck. He raised his head, cocking an eyebrow. "Looks like parts of me didn't get the 'just friends' memo. If that's still the plan, I think I need find another spot to sleep."

Jo didn't smile. "Good idea. There's a nice pile of leaves over there." At Zane's stricken look, she giggled. "You are so gullible when all the blood leaves that big brain of yours." Growling, he captured her lips.

True to his word, neither of them felt the cold. To the contrary, their clothes were soon discarded. Not long afterward, both of them were coated in sweat. The sleeping bag was pushed aside, allowing a soft breeze to caress their bodies as they moved.

Typically vocal while making love, Zane was unusually quiet. In the end, he gasped her name then rested his forehead on Jo's, eyes closed. She ran her hands down his back. Despite the heat they'd generated, he was shaking slightly.

"Zane?" she asked, worried. He shook his head a bit, refusing to look at her. She stroked his neck, running her fingers across the hair curling there. "Zane," she repeated softly.

When he raised his head, her breath caught at his expression. She'd never seen him look so serious, or so lost. "Oh," she breathed, then spoke without thinking. "I love you."

His expression changed to shock. "I should have said that sooner, too," she said softly. He nodded and buried his face in her hair. "I love you too, JoJo." Sighing, she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

Looking up at the sky as her fingers gently stroked Zane's shoulders, Jo gasped. "Shooting star." He peered up, following her gaze. "It's beautiful," Jo smiled. Zane's eyes turned back to her. The moonlight gave her face an other-worldly glow. "Yeah, beautiful," he agreed.

Jo blushed and snuggled closer to him. They slept soundly until first light broke through the leaves.

Zane opened his eyes. For a moment, all felt right in his world. Jo was curled around him, strands of her hair draped over his shoulder. He looked at her in wonder. Less than 24 hours before, his life had been going thoroughly to crap. He'd almost welcomed being pulled out of Eureka. Even another arrest was better than dealing with the hell of being in love with someone who didn't seem to love any version of him anymore.

He'd slumped in the backseat of the General's car as it sped out of town, not noticing Carter run to his jeep. They'd swept past Henry's Garage without him seeing the many cars pulling into the drive from the road leading to GD. He barely listened as Mansfield barked directions to his minions.

They were miles outside of Eureka before the words "airport" and "Lompoc" broke through his fog of apathy. The situation with Jo sucked, but getting lost in a domestic equivalent of Guantanomo would hardly make things better. When the tire had blown on the car, he'd seen his chance.

The military cops hadn't been expecting trouble. Although Zane didn't meet their expectations of what a particle physicist would look like, they didn't think he posed any threat. He was a scientist, they were the police. He might be smart, but they had guns. So sure were they that he was harmless that they left him uncuffed in the back seat. And they didn't watch him when they leapt from the limo to examine the tire.

He was in the woods and out of sight before any of them could react.

Running through the trees was one of the most surreal experiences of Zane's life, truly a milestone given his life in Eureka. Unlike his other timeline alter ego, this Zane had never bolted from the town. Six months in prison had pretty well wiped out his inclination to be on the receiving end of a loaded gun. Jo's taser had been as much weaponry as he was willing to face. Now he had two chambers full of bullets at his back.

When the shot had come, he'd dropped to the ground. The casual attitude he'd shown when describing it later to Jo had been completely absent. He was sure he'd been hit but hadn't felt it yet. It was a long time before he was able to stand and run again.

He was still in trouble, a lot of it. But it was hard to work up much concern while looking at Jo curled up next to him. He closed his eyes, luxuriating in the sense of well-being.

So he nearly jumped out of his skin when a perky voice came from a few feet away.

"Good morning! Sorry to disturb but, in case you've forgotten, there's still this little matter of an arrest to deal with today."

Carter was leaning against a nearby tree, grinning broadly. Jo's eyes shot open. She saw him, squeaked, and dove deeper into the sleeping bag.

"Like to watch, Carter?" growled Zane.

"Nah, it's just a beautiful morning. Perfect day for clearing up mysteries. Since I volunteered to track you down the old-fashioned way, the air search is called off, but we need to get a move on. So, if you two kids don't mind, how about joining me for a hike through the woods? After you get all these back on, of course." Carter gestured to the far-flung items of clothing scattered around the sleeping bag. "See you, um, over there." He ducked under a branch and walked just out of sight.

"He couldn't have just called?" Zane grumbled. Jo didn't answer. She was too busy trying to dress while bent with laughter.

As they walked out of the woods, Carter explained what they'd learned since Zane's arrest.

"We traced the money out of GD to a bank in Worcester, Massachusetts. The account it went into was opened in your name a week before. Whoever opened it had your social security number, birth date, everything, so we're assuming they were able to tap your personnel file at GD. That means it was someone with a pretty high level of access."

Zane stopped walking. "How do you know I didn't open the account myself?"

Carter paused. The two men stood looking at each other, expressions tense.

"I don't," Carter answered simply.

"Then why are you helping me?"

Carter shrugged. "Oddly enough, I trust you. I'm funny that way—tend to follow my gut. And my gut is saying you didn't do this." He stepped forward until he was within a foot of Zane. "If I'm wrong? I will lock you up and throw away the key myself."

Zane smiled. "Fair enough."

A half hour later, they were at the city limits of Eureka. Carter pulled to the side of the road.

"Sorry to do this, but I need to put you in cuffs." Zane scowled. "Think of it as mystery theater—if I'm right, this charade will draw the perpetrator out. Just follow my lead and go with whatever happens."

"Are you sure this is safe?" Jo asked.

"No," Carter admitted.

"Great," signed Zane. "Let's get this over with."

When they pulled up to the Sheriff's office in Eureka, a crowd was forming on the sidewalks. Carter made a show of pulling Zane from the backseat and spinning him around so the handcuffs were visible. An indistinct murmur rose up which grew louder when General Mansfield and a man in a military police uniform stepped forward.

"Thank you, Sheriff. We'll take him from here," Mansfield said.

Zane yanked free of Carter. His face was a picture of shock and betrayal. The military cop reached for him.

"Jo," Zane said to her, eyes wide. She shrugged and stared impassively back.

"Sorry. It was the only way to get you back without a battle. If you're really innocent, you've got nothing to worry about."

Swearing, Zane tried to elbow the cop and duck past him. The click of a trigger stopped him cold. When he turned back, he was looking into the barrel of a gun.

"Again with the guns," he muttered. "Good acting, Lupo," he said nastily. "You really went the extra mile. Had me totally fooled." She bit her lip and turned away.

The mob surrounding them was silent as Zane was walked to the General's car. The uniform gave him a hard shove. Zane pushed back and the gun came back up. The closest bystanders rushed to get out of the line of fire.

"Stop!" A woman's voice called from the sidewalk. Sharon Barton, an aide to Senator Wen, stepped out from behind Henry. "He didn't do anything. It was me."

"Sharon?" Parrish said, moving out of the group to the woman's side. "You stole the money?"

"Not stole," she said disparagingly. "Borrowed. I just wanted to make it seem like it was stolen—I haven't spent a cent. I was going to move it all back to GD when _he _was gone." She pointed to Zane.

"What the hell did I ever do to you? I don't even know you!"

"It's not what you did to me," she snapped in response. "It's what you did to him." She pointed to Parrish.

"Me!" he shrieked. "You can't put this on me. I had nothing to do with it."

The woman sidled up to him. "Isaac," she purred. "You know it should have been you chosen for the Astraeus mission, not some ex-felon. If he wasn't sleeping with _her_," she jerked her thumb at Jo, "the spot he took would have been yours."

"Bullshit," Jo yelled. The military cop still holding Zane's arm grinned. "You're a brave man," he said in an aside to Zane.

Parrish stood, mouth open, looking for all the world like a bearded fish out of water. Barton sighed. "I always did want to date an astronaut." Her suggestive tone made clear that she wasn't referring to dinner and a movie. "Anyway, I didn't anticipate all this fuss." She jerked her head at Zane. "Him spending time behind bars is one thing—greater cause and all that. But getting shot? Don't want that on my head."

General Mansfield marched forward. "Smith!" he called. The sergeant who had chased after Zane emerged from the General's car. "Take her into custody," Mansfield ordered. He turned stiffly to Zane.

"Donovan," he barked. He seemed to struggle with himself then extended his hand. "I apologize. I overreacted. My staff will personally make sure that there is no record of the arrest. If you want to file a complaint against the DoD…against me…I'm sure Dr. Fargo will be happy to assist."

Standing behind the General, Fargo raised his eyebrows and mouthed "Wow" to Zane. The latter looked at the extended hand and smirked. "Well, I'd be happy to let bygones be bygones, General, but…" Zane moved his handcuffed wrists into view.

"Oh, yes," Mansfield stammered. "Sheriff Carter, if you would?"

Carter unlocked the handcuffs. Shaking his hands to get blood flowing through them, Zane snarked, "When you said you didn't know if this was safe, you weren't kidding."

"Well," Carter answered. "We did have an ace in the hole."

The man in the military uniform clapped Zane on the shoulder. "Hey, sorry about all this. But I'd guess you'd know better than anyone that when Jo says jump, the safest course of action is to start hopping." He extended his hand, which Zane took. "Tony Lupo, Jo's brother."

Jo put her hand on Zane's shoulder. "Are we ok?" she said quietly. Tony interrupted. "Your move here is to say yes, dude. When I get a call from my sister saying she wants me out here ASAP to help the guy she loves, I'm not looking to see him break her heart."

Rising onto tiptoes, Jo put her lips next to Zane's ear. "This introduction? Also something I should have done sooner. And maybe under better circumstances." Without a word, he swept her into his arms.

Carter leaned toward Tony. "You're witnessing a historic moment for Eureka. Zane's speechless." Tony laughed, then asked in a more serious tone, "He's a good guy?"

The Sheriff's gaze moved over Zane and Jo. "Yeah, he is." He grinned. "Although I can pretty much guarantee that's not the last fight they'll ever have."

"So long as Jo wins her share, that's good enough for me. My biggest worry was her getting tied down with some wimp who'd bore her to tears," Tony answered. "How about if I buy you a drink and you fill me in about the new member of the Lupo clan?"

Carter laughed. "How long do you have?" The two men moved off as Zane's mouth closed over Jo's, both oblivious to their departure.

_~fini~_


End file.
